Welcome to Fresh Take, a podcast from the Greater Washington Partnership featuring business and community leaders who are working to make the region a model for shared prosperity and economic growth.
Fresh Take is a one-on-one interview series featuring thought leaders from across the region and exploring the actions that leaders are taking to power inclusive economic growth from Baltimore to Richmond.
Our special feature series – Catalyze – highlights Partnership board members in conversation with changemakers in the community.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Fresh Take ft. Ruth Williams-Brinkley
April 6, 2021
This Fresh Take interview featured Ruth Williams-Brinkley, Regional President of Kaiser Permanente (Mid-Atlantic states). Ruth joined Francesca Ioffreda (VP, Inclusive Growth & Talent Initiatives) to discuss supporting inclusive growth initiatives, Kaiser’s role in the community, and the importance of mental health. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Diane Hoskins
January 27, 2021
This Fresh Take interview featured Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO of Gensler. JB Holston and Diane discuss the future of talent, Gensler’s goals as an organization, and their commitment towards inclusive growth within the Capital Region. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Doyle Mitchell
December 17, 2021
This Fresh Take interview features Doyle Mitchell, President and CEO of Industrial Bank. JB Holston and Doyle will discuss Industrial Bank’s long history of providing critical financial services to communities across the Capital Region, the focus on reaching traditionally underserved customers, and excitement around ongoing inclusive growth efforts. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Neelima Rao
November 19, 2021
This Fresh Take features Neelima Rao, Vice President Human Resources, Global R&D and North America HUB Leader, AstraZeneca. JB Holston and Neelima discuss the business imperative of inclusive growth, her focus on developing a skilled and diverse talent pool to drive innovation, and more. Read Transcript.
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Capital Region Catalyze: Supplier Diversity
November 15, 2021
The sixth episode of Capital Region Catalyze features GWP Board Member Robby Moser, CEO, Clark Construction Group and Cheo Hurley, Founder, President and CEO, THG Companies, LLC. Partnership CEO JB Holston chats with Robby and Cheo about launching and scaling a business, leading through the pandemic, and the importance of supplier diversity to growing our economy. Learn from these powerhouse leaders about ongoing efforts to support and accelerate existing efforts to equip MBEs with the resources they need to thrive! Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Evelyn Lee
November 8, 2021
This Fresh Take features Evelyn Lee, President, Greater Washington Region at Truist Financial Corp. JB Holston and Evelyn discuss Truist’s inclusive growth efforts in the Capital Region, the imperative for cross-sector collaboration to power meaningful change, and the intersection of diversity and innovation. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Patricia McGuire
October 21, 2021
This Fresh Take features Patricia McGuire, President of Trinity Washington University. JB and Patricia discuss Trinity’s long history of providing a high-quality liberal arts educational experience for students and prioritizing opportunities for women and underserved communities, pressing challenges facing higher ed, and our shared vision for a robust and diverse digital tech ecosystem in the Capital Region. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Calvin Butler
September 30, 2021
This Fresh Take features Calvin Butler, CEO, Exelon Utilities. JB and Calvin discuss Exelon’s investment in workforce development initiatives in the region, the importance of supplier diversity in supporting minority-owned small businesses, and his own role as a community and business leader in Baltimore. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Kwasi Mitchell
September 22, 2021
This Fresh Take features Kwasi Mitchell, Chief Purpose Officer, Deloitte Consulting LLP. JB and Kwasi discuss the Partnership’s recently released Inclusive Growth Preface Report, the role businesses have to play in powering inclusive growth across the Capital Region, and how to unleash purpose in our day-to-day work. Read Transcript.
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Capital Region Catalyze: Access to Capital
August 25, 2021
The fifth Catalyze episode of Fresh Take features a discussion about Access to Capital across the region. Host JB Holston is joined by Peter Scher (Vice Chairman, JP Morgan Chase & Co.) founder and the Chairman of the Greater Washington Partnership, in conversation with Ellis Carr (President and CEO, Capital Impact Partners & CDC Small Business Finance). Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Jamie McDonald
July 22, 2021
This Fresh Take features Jamie McDonald, CEO of UpSurge Baltimore. JB and Jamie discuss Upsurge’s ‘Equitech’ framework, which anchors its work in a belief that diversity of teams, leadership, and perspectives are a force multiplier for tech company growth. They will also discuss the broader need for equity and inclusivity to power innovation ecosystems across the Capital Region. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Chike Aguh
July 15, 2021
This Fresh Take features Chike Aguh, Chief Innovation Officer & Senior Advisor for Delivery, United States Department of Labor. JB and Chike discuss opportunities for collaboration among private sector and government employers to support and grow inclusive & diverse skilled workforces. Read Transcript.
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Capital Region Catalyze: Inclusive Growth
June 17, 2021
The fourth Catalyze episode of Fresh Take features a robust conversation about Inclusive Growth across the Capital Region. Host JB Holston is joined by Tony Pierce, a GWP board member, in discussion with Sheila Johnson and Jason Wright, Co-Chairs of GWP’s Inclusive Growth Strategy Council. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Rosie Allen-Herring
June 17, 2021
This Fresh Take features Rosie Allen-Herring, President & CEO, United Way of the National Capital Area. JB and Rosie discuss the intersection of public-private partnerships, philanthropy, and business strategy in building an inclusive Capital Region and the United Way NCA’s ongoing work to promote inclusive growth across the region. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Jim Dyke
June 3, 2021
This Fresh Take features Jim Dyke, Sr. Advisor, State Government Relations, McGuireWoods Consulting LLC. JB and Jim discuss the business community’s role in influencing and driving inclusive growth and opportunities to partner with state and local governments to drive meaningful change. Read Transcript.
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Capital Region Catalyze: Equity in Arlington & HQ2
May 24, 2021
The third Catalyze episode of Fresh Take features GWP CEO JB Holston in conversation with Jay Carney, SVP of Global Corporate Affairs at Amazon, and Matt De Ferranti, Arlington County Board Chair. Discussing everything from racial equity in Arlington to the potential for the region with Amazon’s HQ2, Matt and Jay share insights and learnings that will help ours become the most inclusive growth region in the country. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Dr. Gregory Washington
May 20, 2021
This Fresh Take features Dr. Gregory Washington, President, George Mason University. JB and Dr. Washington discuss the state of higher ed in the Capital Region and beyond, increasing the diversity and inclusivity of digital tech pathways, and the evolving role of education in today’s economy. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Stephen Moret
May 11, 2021
This Fresh Take features Stephen Moret, President & CEO, Virginia Economic Development Partnership. JB and Stephen discuss Virginia consistently high ranks as a “top state for business” due to its high-ranking universities, workforce, and business-friendly regulations. Learn more about the Commonwealth’s future and its intrinsic link to the Capital Region. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Beth Colbert
April 29, 2021
This Fresh Take features Beth Cobert, Chief Operating Officer, Markle Foundation. JB and Beth discuss the importance of skills-based hiring, training, and education practices through innovative cross-sector collaboration in the digital economy. Much like the Partnership’s Capital CoLAB, it seeks to bridge the skills gap between employers and educators. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Monica Dixon
April 27, 2021
This Fresh Take features Monica Dixon, President, External Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. Monica and JB discuss the District’s path to reopening, diversity, and inclusion in the sports industry, and the future of cities in the post-pandemic era. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Tonia Wellons
April 22, 2021
This Fresh Take features Tonia Wellons, CEO, Greater Washington Community Foundation. JB and Tonia discuss Greater Washington Community Foundation’s extensive work in the pandemic relief and recovery efforts and insights on how the region is doing as we work towards a more inclusive and equitable future for the region. Read Transcript.
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Capital Region Catalyze: Education Equity
April 14, 2021
In the second Catalyze episode of Fresh Take, Greater Washington Partnership CEO JB Holston talks equity and inclusive growth with Katherine Bradley, Founder of CityBridge, Tony Lewis, Region Vice President at Verizon, and Russ Ramsey, CEO of Ramsey Asset Management. Our guests share insights and learnings from their efforts to develop and support a thriving and equitable education system in the Capital Region and the glaring inequities that COVID-19 has laid bare. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Dr. Kavita Patel
March 18, 2021
This Fresh Take features Dr. Kavita Patel, Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution. JB and Dr. Patel discuss the federal government’s COVID-19 response, vaccine rollout, and ensuring our health systems are equitable and accessible to all. Read Transcript.
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Capital Region Catalyze: Housing Equity
March 16, 2021
In the first Catalyze episode of Fresh Take, Greater Washington Partnership CEO JB Holston talks equity and inclusive growth with Matt Kelly, CEO of JBG SMITH, and Sarah Rosen Wartell, President of the Urban Institute. From housing and gentrification to Amazon and leading through a pandemic, Sarah and Matt dive into personal narratives, the history and trajectory of the region, and the glaring inequities that COVID-19 has laid bare. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Carmine Di Sibio
March 9, 2021
This Fresh Take features Carmine Di Sibio, Global Chairman and CEO of EY. Carmine and JB discuss the COVID-19-era prevalence of remote work in the Capital Region. While this will likely not be maintained once the pandemic has subsided, data collected through external surveys as well as the Greater Washington Partnership (the Partnership) and EY Capital COVID-19 Snapshot shows greater levels of remote working will continue even after herd immunity is reached, relative to pre-COVID-19 levels. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Carol Thompson Cole
March 4, 2021
This Fresh Take features Carol Thompson Cole, President & CEO, Venture Philanthropy Partners. JB and Carol discuss inclusive growth in the Capital Region, impact investing, and economic empowerment in underserved communities. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Ellis Carr
February 18, 2021
This Fresh Take features Ellis Carr, President & CEO of Capital Impact Partners. JB and Ellis discuss inclusive growth, CDFIs, and economic empowerment in underserved communities. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Jeff Cherry
February 11, 2021
This Fresh Take features Jeff Cherry, Executive Director of Conscious Venture Lab. JB and Jeff discuss the start-up community in Baltimore, conscious capitalism, the role of accelerators, and innovation across the region. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Mark Ein
February 4, 2021
This Fresh Take features Mark Ein, Chairman of Kastle Systems. JB and Mark discuss growing the inclusive innovation economy in the Capital Region, Mark’s work with SPACs and Kastle, and other related topics for the region. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Patricia Brantley
January 28, 2021
This Fresh Take features Patricia A. Brantley, CEO of Friendship Public Charter School. JB and Patricia discuss the impact of COVID-19 on schools, the role of testing, and the path to reopening. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Anna Mason
January 21, 2021
This Fresh Take features Anna Mason, Partner at Rise of the Rest Seed Fund. JB and Anna discuss startup ecosystems, the startup community across the Capital Region, and the value of investing in inclusion/diversity. Read Transcript.
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Fresh Take ft. Megan Smith
January 7, 2021
This Fresh Take features Megan Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of shift7 and former US Chief Technology Officer. JB and Megan discuss innovation/collaboration, human-centered solutions, and how they tie into the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Read Transcript.